The City of Glendale is targeting a July 2 vote to decide on the future of the Phoenix Coyotes.

But whether the NHL, which owns the team, is on board with the city’s timeline isn’t clear.

On Friday, city councilors held a special meeting to discuss the proposed arena-management agreement with prospective Coyotes owner Renaissance Sports and Entertainment. According to Fox Sports Arizona’s Craig Morgan, talks are expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Via Morgan, Watters says: “We are continuing our negotiations with the Renaissance group and we expect that early next week we will have some sort of a statement or press release and it will be with the council’s direction for the management of our arena.

“We are also hopeful that in that time, we can discuss everything in more specific detail such as deal points. Our current anticipation is that we will take this to a public vote — for the council to bring for a public vote on Tuesday, July 2.”

Both sound like they are heading out to me. You’d think if it was positive they council members wouldn’t sneak out the back and the second tweet about not sure it meets NHL’s timeline makes me think NHL wants something in the next week.

gbrim - Jun 21, 2013 at 4:57 PM

Two possibilities–

1- Negotiations are close, and no comments means nobody wants to screw things up by commenting right now.

2- Council will drag things out until NHL pulls the plug, then council members opposed to the deal will blame the NHL for the outcome and never have to take a vote to turn down the League/investors.

As long as this Pheonix fiasco has been draggin on it makes laugh how quick the Thrashers move came about.

gbrim - Jun 21, 2013 at 7:38 PM

Glendale CC spokesperson said they hoped to release draft deal points in very near future, and meet July 2 deadline. Most of the City Council was just elected, and most were very critical of previous deals that didn’t happen (including the new mayor). If the new council’s spokesperson is talking deal points for the public it looks like a deal will get done–the new council must have stared at the debt service on an empty Jobing.com arena and decided that was worse than the Coyote deal.

If I could lay money on the Coyotes staying, I’d do it. The whole “moving to Seattle” was part of the theatre of negotiation, imo.

The “whole moving to Seattle” threat serves two purposes; it gives a semi-realistic threat to Glendale to concede some sticking points in negotiations. It also drums up some interest so that in a year or two, the NHL could announce they are going to add two new expansion teams; one in Seattle and one in Quebec City.

That would give them four divisions of eight teams each, and give all the owners some expansion cheques, all the while allowing Bettman to keep the Coyotes in the greater Phoenix area, like he’s always wanted.